A man accused of shooting his 9-year-old cousin did not fight the charges in court, but he maintains it was an accident at a Halloween party where the child was dressed in dark clothing outdoors at night.

Thomas Grant, 24, was placed on probation. He was initially charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault. But in February, the Beaver County Times reported Judge John Dohanich ruled that prosecutors could not proceed with the most serious charge of aggravated assault.

"He's terribly upset over this whole situation, and obviously the first concern is that the 9-year-old little girl is doing well," defense attorney Steven Valsamidis said at a preliminary hearing in November. "She's recovering, and it's my understanding that, so far so good."

New Sewickley Township police said the shooting happened at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 20 during a bonfire at a home on Brewer Road.

According to police, the homeowner heard there was a skunk in the backyard and asked Grant, her son, to shoot the animal while she used a flashlight to shine light over the hillside.

Grant fired the shotgun once and hit the girl, police said.

"He is extremely devastated by the actions that took place. I mean, it's a tragic incident that occurred. It's not something that he dreamed would ever happen," Police Chief Ronald Leindecker said after the shooting.

Leindecker said the girl was mistaken for a skunk because she was wearing a black costume and a black hat with a white tassel.

Police said the girl was being treated in the garage of the home by family members and emergency responders when they arrived. She was flown to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for surgery.